By the late 1950s, Inuit residents from Kinngait (Cape Dorset) had created thousands of drawings, a small number of which were turned into prints for sale to southern audiences. During this period, Inuit artists were largely subject to the marketing efforts of a Southern agency called the Canadian Eskimo Arts Council, which selected and approved the artwork for print editions sold to the public.
The agency’s founder, James Houston, had a vision of Inuit art as a commodity for sale to the “tourist” market. His promotion of Inuit artists as Savage Savants who were so well-versed in their craft that they made judgments on the quality of their work without influence from Western standards appealed to the interests of his intended audience and helped him secure sales.
How to Consign Inuit Art for Auction Successfully
Consign Inuit art for auction were keenly aware that the Inuit audience was interested in unique rather than replicated works so they limited the number of prints that would be released each year, a practice that continues to this day. This helped to protect demand for Inuit art and has protected the value of the works today.
Currently, Inuit artists are increasingly forgoing the gallery system altogether and directly marketing their work via social media and online. While this may not be as lucrative as selling to a reputable gallery, it allows Inuit artists to control their destiny and perhaps reap higher profits up front.